Malaria cases declined by 24% in India: WHO report

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in a report stated that India is the only country to have recorded a substantial decline in malaria cases in 2017 out of the 11 highest burden countries worldwide.

According to the report, India accounted for 4 percent of global malaria cases in 2017 and has made significant progress in bringing down its malaria burden since.

"As reflected in this year's World malaria report, the country registered a 24 percent reduction in cases over 2016, largely due to substantial declines of the disease in the highly malarious state of Odisha, home to approximately 40 percent of all malaria cases in the country," the report read.

The success factors for the reduction of the vector-borne disease include rejuvenated political commitment, strengthened technical leadership, which focused on prioritizing the right mix of vector control measures, and increased levels of domestic funding to back efforts, the report noted.

"A notable aspect of Odisha's approach is its network of Accredited Social Health Activists, or ASHAs, who serve as front-line workers to deliver essential malaria services across the state, particularly in rural and remote areas (For more on Odisha's progress in fighting malaria, and the role played by ASHAs, see the photo essay on India takes on malaria in its highest burden state," the WHO report stated.